The Letter
by BudgetBunnie
Summary: One Shot looking further into Nicolas Flamel and the stone that made Harry's first year interesting. The night Albus help Nicolas and his wife hide the stone under better protection and how this decision changed things.


**Prologue**

He never thought it would come down to this. His last hours of life ticked away. Handing over the stone was his greatest fear and biggest release. He was old, he knew that this was what must be done, but he had lived for so long, saw so many things, lived so many wars, was this really what it came down to, his life ended by a threat? Yes, it always came down to this moment; he knew what needed to happen.

"I'm going to miss it. This world has grown over such a short amount of time, Albus." Nicolas said reminiscently to his friend. "I can't let it all go to waste because of Him." He hung his head as Albus smiled warmly at the man.

"If anything else could be done, we'd have figured out a way to do it. We must eliminate any possible way for him to return. His followers are still out there, and I fear the worst if this stone was ever to fall into any of their hands." Nicolas nodded his head in agreement.

A portly woman stepped into the room they currently occupied, a large tray of tea and biscuits arranged neatly, held in her hands. A small smile of sadness covered her face as she set the tray on the table beside her husband and Albus Dumbledore. She gingerly filled three teacups and sat in a nearby armchair with one in her hand. The two men picked up their drinks, Nicolas inhaled deeply into his cup.

"And you are sure of what you heard?" Nicolas asked. "You're sure that with the coming of the child's 11th birthday, he's at risk of danger? That the stone is what He'd go after first."

Albus mulled over what Nicolas said. No, he wasn't sure, but if he had been correct thus far, about the Horcuxes, then Harry was in grave danger and the stone a threat to all. "Dear friend, I'm not certain of anything relating to Voldemort, but if he's like you, he'll want to find a way to stay alive forever. The stone provides just that. You must do this for the greater good of all, Magic and Muggles alike."

Nicolas looked to his wife Perenelle, what had she thought of all of this, she was losing what they had worked so hard for as well. He watched her carefully place her cup upon the saucer where it sat on the table beside her. She opened her mouth, then rethought what she was going to say, and tried again.

"Nicolas, I know it's not ideal." She started. "But we have lived a fine life-" Wet tears pricking at her eyes as she spoke, it hurt to agree with Albus, but if he was right and the fight was not over, they had to help. She couldn't finish what she wished to say; neither did Nicolas give her the chance to continue.

"But Perenelle, this is as much as my choice as it is yours. I need your guidance in this decision; it's something that I can't make on my own without your input." He had now stood, gliding to his wife's side, knelling to her height, one hand lifting her right hand and holding it in both of his hands. He stroked her hand lovingly as he read his wife's eyes. He knew she was right, they both were right, but his whole life's work was going to be in the hands of someone else. It didn't matter how much he trued Dumbledore, his life was that stone, if anything happened to it, he didn't know if he could make the hard choice.

"It will only be this next year." Albus tried to comfort. Nicolas returned his attention from his wife to his friend, standing back up and sitting in his chair. "If I have been wrong, the stone will be safe and sound in Gringotts collecting dust in its prison as it waits for your hands to once again grace its surface." He smiled kindly.

"What if you are wrong, are you sure that Gringotts is as secure as you say? I trust the English Ministry, but the vaults, are they as safe as you say?" Nicolas was skeptical, but this was practically suicide if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had the stone in his possession.

"I'd bring it to Hogwarts, under the care of myself and my staff, to guard the stone. Voldemort would not dare step foot in my school knowing I'm there." Albus said.

With a heavy sigh, Nicolas rose from where he sat to retrieve the stone. It lay in a box in the attic. Magical enchantments and curses cast upon it if someone forcefully tried to open it without knowing how. Not to mention invisible to the naked eye, a spell of Disillusionment cast over it. He rummaged though some of his belongings before obtaining the box in mention.

He carried it from its hiding spot and presented it to Dumbledore. After Nicolas disarmed the box, Albus picked the stone up and held it in his hand. It was practically weightless for a stone, lighter than a feather, lighter than air! He held it up to the light in awe. Never had he seen it's equal in beauty or magic. The stone was a clear red, could have easily been mistaken for a ruby, but even the clearest cut jewel would have been cloudy in comparison. The stone was flawless in its teardrop shape. Nicolas was an extraordinary alchemist.

"We have enough of the potion to last us some time, but please no later than the year promised, I will need to create more from the stone." Nicolas said.

"Mum?" A small voice asked from the stairs "Mum, I can't sleep." Perenelle and the others looked up toward the stairs as a little girl emerged from the dark hall. She was small, but she looked old enough to be around 12. Her cheeks were flush and her hair stringy from sweat, some sticking to her face.

"Oh honey," Perenelle cooed, sweeping up the little girl in a hug. Albus and Nicolas resumed their chat quietly. Her mother pushed her little girl's hair behind her ear. She had been sick for such a long time, her mother didn't know what to do for her. They were afraid to visit the Healing facilities. Their prolonged life wasn't something they wanted to share with people.

Faye coughed lightly into her mother as she held her. It had hurt to breathe and think and sleep, it had hurt to do anything. She had been like that for some time, as long as she could remember, the sickness only getting worse. Her parents didn't know what else they could do; they had made positions, and tried spells.

The one and only thing they didn't try was to use the stone on her as well. Perenelle and Nicolas were weary to try their luck with letting their only daughter drink the Elixir. They feared time slipping from their grasp but they were unsure if the stone would grant them what they wanted. Could the stone suspend the sickness in time, letting their daughter live, or would illness be something that wasn't going to stop?

Stoking Faye's back, Perenelle's mind raced, completely consumed in that night's conversation. Thoughts of the stone and thoughts of the ever grown worse health of their baby girl made it tempting to use the stone on Faye. But now, now with the danger the stone potentially held, Perenelle could not watch idly.

"Albus," Perenelle said suddenly, hugging Faye tighter "that stone must return to us."

"I promise dear Nicolas, and sweet Perenelle, the stone will be back in your hands after the threat has ceased."

Time had passed since that night Albus convinced his friends to let him protect the stone. The stone residing in a Gringotts vault deep under English soil, as Nicolas and his wife continued to live their lives in France. Faye still alive, for now, readied her attendance to Beauxbatons Academy of Magic alongside her brother, Ames, once more.

An owl arrived early one morning. Raping on their bedroom window, the Flamel's woke startled. _Who could be sending an owl at this hour? _Nicolas thought, flipping off the covers, slipping into his night slippers and walking to his window. The owl gave a small hoot as it flow away, back to where it had come from, as Nicolas unfurled the letter and read its contents.

_It has moved-it's what we feared._


End file.
